We are expecting a baby in June! A baby we’ve hoped and cried and prayed for many, many times.
Chase cannot wait to be a big brother. (Once again our sweet Sadie is clueless.) We do not know the sex of the baby and are not planning to find out but Chase is 100 percent convinced this baby is a boy. And, according to Chase, the baby’s name will be Thomas the Train. Choo choo!
I am currently 19 weeks pregnant and while I would’ve loved to have shared our news weeks ago, I’ve felt incredibly scared, apprehensive, protective and anxious throughout this pregnancy. After a wonderful 18-week appointment last week, I felt myself exhale for the first time after what’s felt like a four month rollercoaster of emotions ranging from intense hope, joy and elation to fear and overwhelming anxiety.
But now, at four months pregnant, we’ve seen our baby many times. Heard its strong heartbeat many times. Seen our baby kicking, punching and dancing up a storm many times. I still find myself wondering when this pregnancy will feel 100 percent real. Perhaps it won’t feel real until the very moment I’ve hoped and prayed for: The moment when I get to hold this precious baby in my arms.
As I share this news, my heart is so full and so incredibly grateful. It’s filled with all the joy that comes along with expecting a baby – a baby we’ve deeply longed and prayed intently for – but it’s also so acutely aware that the baby we’ve seen dancing around during our ultrasounds wouldn’t be growing in my belly right now if we had the two babies we lost and loved with all of our hearts.
I cannot wait to wrap this little one up in my arms in June and fall even more in love with the incredible life growing in my belly right now.
Thank you so much for all of the love, support and prayers you’ve sent our way. We’ve felt all of them and we are so incredibly grateful.
***
There is a huge part of my heart that shares this news that is so incredibly aware of how it likely affects those of you who may be struggling with infertility, a recent loss and an ache and longing for a baby that is currently unfulfilled. Every pregnancy or birth announcement I read following our two miscarriages over the past year – especially those that overlapped our due dates or came after our due dates – felt like such a poignant reminder of what I was missing, what I lost and what I wanted so strongly deep within my heart. I know firsthand there’s nothing anyone can say to take away the ache you feel, your sadness and your desire for a child, whether its your first or your fifth, but I just want to recognize you, send you whatever kind of comfort and love I possibly can and tell you that my heart is with you.
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Yay! Congrats! So happy for you
OH MY GOODNESS!!! Julie, I am crying tears of joy for you!! I am so excited for you and your family!!! God bless!!!! This is such exciting news! Xoxo
Long time reader but I don’t know if I’ve ever commented! I am just so happy for you and your family. I also have had 2 miscarriages and 2 beautiful boys. Congratulations!!!!!!!
Such exciting news, congrats to you and your family!! My husband and I are expecting our first at the end of May 🙂
Ah congratulations I have had a feeling for some reason! Can’t wait to hear more x
SO happy for you! Congratulations!
what wonderful news!!! tearing up with joy for you and your family. I also have two miracles in heaven and two beautiful girls at home. how truly blessed we are.
Congratulations, I am so happy for you both! I’ve been reading your blog for years and was hoping for the best for you guys. Now you will appreciate your miracle more than you ever thought possible (not that you wouldn’t have before, but you know what I mean) <3
Congratulations!!! I love hearing news of a rainbow baby! ?
I commented after your second miscarriage about how our stories were eerily similar – an uneventful ttc/pregnancy/birth with my first son and then two unexplained, unavoidable miscarriages followed. Finally a healthy baby boy (and a surprise healthy baby girl 18 months after him, oy!) but anyway, just wanted to point out if our stories continue to mirror each other, I’m guessing you’ll have a little Thomas the Train, too! ?
I’m so thrilled for you, and can totally relate to the anxiety and hesitation when you’re pregnant after a loss. It didn’t seem real until I held my rainbow baby on my chest. I can’t wait until you get to do the same, it will be one of the best moments of your life, if not THE best. Again, congratulations to all of you!!!!
So happy for you ???
Congratulations to your beautiful growing family! Praying for a healthy happy baby! So excited for you!
CONGRATULATIONS! There is nothing sweeter in this whole world than a new life joining the clan 🙂
I understand your hesitation to share your pregnancy SO much. My husband and I are expecting our first baby (a boy!) in July, and we’ve had our share of scary moments, invasive testing, praying, crying, and hoping. But watching his sweet little body jump around on the screen has helped to make everything feel more secure. We’re just telling people now and it’s surreal.
We wish you all the best– and will be holding our baby just as tightly this summer.
Congratulations! I know the anxiety that a healthy pregnancy can bring after two miscarriages firsthand and I know it’s not easy at all. I hope that every day closer to June, you become more and more excited and the anxiety goes away little by little. I hope that it comforts you as it comforted me, especially at 18 weeks, that every single day, the chances of something going wrong becomes less and less (and at 18 weeks, they are already so slim). Do you have a fetal doppler? Even after I could feel my baby’s kicks, if I was having an especially uneasy day, I would find such comfort in hearing her heartbeat. Wishing you the smoothest pregnancy!
Oh my gosh!!! What a blessing! I have been reading your blog for years and I am so so happy for you!!!!! Congrats Julie!
Congratulations, Julie! I’ve been following your blog for years. I was especially touched by your difficult pregnancy journey as we started our own. Happy to share that we are also expecting in June! I’m 20 weeks, so we’re close together! 06-07-18 is our due date. I’ll be praying for both of us to have safe, healthy pregnancies. Blessings to you and your sweet family!
such great news. thank you for always sharing both the ups and the downs.
Yay! Julie, I am so incredibly excited for you and your family! I am expecting my first baby a few weeks before your due date, and have referenced your pregnancy recaps many a time to try and feel somewhat prepared and less anxious. Thank you for sharing your great news, I have often thought about your struggles and hoped for the best for you. xoxo
This made my Tuesday morning! Congratulations Julie! I can’t wait to follow the journey as it continues. 🙂
Congratulations!!! I am so happy for your family!!!
WOHOO! Y’all have been on my mind recently and I was so happy to read this post! I just miscarried our first miracle baby two weeks ago after 3+ years of infertility so my heart aches for your previous losses. Thank you for bringing a smile to my face this morning. Y’all deserve this so much! 🙂
Julie, I am so, so happy for you! When I saw your post, I exclaimed out loud, as I would for a close friend! I’m just so happy for you! I read your blog throughout our infertility struggles, and it made me feel not so alone. I’m grateful for how open you’ve been throughout all of this, and so incredibly happy for your family!
SO happy for you, Julie! Even though I don’t know you, I can tell you’re a wonderful mother. I am currently pregnant as well (32 weeks) with our second baby (a girl!). We didn’t find out the gender of our first born and it was so fun!
Congratulations to you and your family! Long time reader here and this news and your message at the end brought big tears to my eyes this morning! Chase is going to be the sweetest big brother.
This totally made me cry. Congratulations!!
My heart is filled with happiness for you this morning. I’m so excited for you, Ryan and Chase during this special time. I know the heartache you have endured (and that is still with you) on the path to getting here. Prayers and love to you and baby.
Congratulations! What wonderful news – so happy for you and sending good thoughts!
Congrats! I am just two weeks ahead of you with my first! I love following along with your adventures around charlotte with Chase…book marking them all in my head so I know how to entertain this kid down the road! So happy for y’all!
So much congratulations to you and your family! I’ve been reading your blog for years and couldn’t be happier for y’all!
I also had two miscarriages before giving birth to my son (only baby… so far :-)). I have been checking every morning and hoping for months that I would see this announcement. I am so happy for you that I started crying at work. Congratulations from the bottom of my heart!
Thank you for sharing this with me, Samantha. <3 I'm so incredibly sorry for your losses and that you can completely understand the pain of miscarriage. Thank you for following our journey and for your incredibly kind words!
I am so happy for you!!! Chase will be the best big brother!!! I experienced a loss last summer and was heartbreaking. But I was able to get pregnant again and I am now 21 weeks pregnant and expecting a girl. I have been reading your posts and admiring how strong you have been through all this. It’s tough and you will never forget the other pregnancies and hold the one you have now so tight. We are so blessed! Good luck with your pregnancy. Can’t wait to follow along 🙂
Fantastic news Julie! Prayers for health and enrichment through the rest of your pregnancy. XO
SO excited for you! What a blessing and a gift from God. I can’t wait to see that beautiful baby!
So, so much love to you all!
I almost cried just reading the title of the post! That’s probably weird since I don’t know you, but thank you for letting us into your wonderful life and sharing your stories so candidly. I’m so happy to hear that your rainbow baby will finally be arriving soon! Congratulations to all of you! <3
What happy news, congratulations! I’ve been waiting for this announcement and had a feeling you were expecting. I’m overjoyed to see that it’s true! I’m 21 weeks along with my second myself and I look forward to following along with your baby #2 journey!
Julie, I’m beyond excited for you and your family! I know we are not friends IRL but am just as happy for you as if you were my best friend. Can’t wait to hear updates along the way <3
Congratulations!!! I am so happy to hear that you are expecting a sweet little baby! I hope that you’ve been having a wonderful, morning sickness-free pregnancy.
So incredibly happy for you and your family! Like all your readers, I wished to read this news for you soon! Due with our second in 2.5 weeks and I ached so much reading about your losses. But I’m so glad you have your miracle and can’t wait to hear how the rest of the pregnancy goes! We also aren’t finding out this time, so exciting!
CONGRATULATIONS! I am so excited for you and your family! Can’t wait to read about all the fun Chase is going to have as a Big Brother!
OMG!! Congrats to you guys!!
Yey! Yey! Yey! Congrats! I’m 13 weeks after several miscarriages and we haven’t really told anyone out of fear either. After my first day of bad lower back pain and having my small toddler demand I carry him all day, i barely slept. I ordered a smoogle after reading your blog. Hoping it helps!
Congratulations!! I am so happy for you, Julie! Children are a blessing from the lord. My prayers are with you for a continued healthy pregnancy!!
so happy for you!!!
This post brought tears to my eyes. I am SOOOO happy for you and had been hoping an announcement like this would come soon. Sending good thoughts your way and that some of the anxiety eases. A journey like this is so difficult, but you have handled it with grace. CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Congratulations! So very happy for you and your lovely family 🙂
Julie!! I have been reading your blog for years and we experienced loss at the same time and you don’t know how refreshing your words were. It made me feel like I was not alone. I was so incredibly happy to read your news this morning. I am due July 3 with our sweet, rainbow baby. God always keeps His promises. Praising Him for our little miracles. May God continue to bring you health and wellness in this pregnancy!
Lots of love,
Jessie
https://jessforhim.blogspot.com/
I’m so sorry we are connected by the shared pain of such a heartbreaking loss, Jessie. But thank you so much for taking the time to share your comment with me. I am so, so thrilled for you and sending you love and prayers for a healthy pregnancy, baby and delivery! <3
Congratulations, Julie! I’m so happy for you and your family. Chase is going to make a great big brother!
I’m so incredibly happy for you and your beautiful family Julie! I’ve cried tears of sadness for you when you’ve shared about your losses and now tears of joy for you as you share this wonderful news with us. Congratulations and can’t wait to follow along this new journey with you, I’m also due with my 2nd in July!
Yay congratulations! So exciting for you guys <3
Congratulations!! I wondered (and hoped for you!) back around Christmas time when I didn’t see mimosas in your Christmas morning recap 😉 (long time reader so I remember we share the same Christmas morning breakfast and mimosa traditions) So happy for you and your family 🙂 🙂
<3 Yes! I was orange juice only this year. Love that you noticed! And thank you so much for your kind words and congratulations!